Smith and Warner have returned from year-long bans following a ball-tampering scandal in South Africa which also prompted Lehmann to step down as coach of the side in March last year.
Phillip Hughes' fight for survival from a severe head injury has prompted a wave of sympathy across the globe, not least from former New Zealand cricketer Ewen Chatfield, who was nearly killed by a fast delivery in the 1970s.
Australia have put fast bowlers Doug Bollinger and Nathan Coulter-Nile on standby for next week's third Ashes Test against England in Perth should any of the current pacemen break down during the second Test in Adelaide, starting on Thursday.
International Cricket Council's chief executive David Richardson said security will remain an 'absolute priority' going into the World Cup.
Dumped England batsman Kevin Pietersen has slammed his former team managers for allegedly allowing a culture of 'bullying' to develop and claimed coach Andy Flower and wicketkeeper Matt Prior were behind an orchestrated campaign to oust him.
A desire for captain Alastair Cook to be able to trust and rely on the support of all his players was behind the decision to end Kevin Pietersen's international career, said the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has named three potential bowlers to be included in the final-15 of the World Cup squad, which includes Indian-origin medium-pacer Gurinder Singh Sandhu.
England batsman Kevin Pietersen will travel to Melbourne for a cortisone injection on his troublesome knee on Sunday amid concerns about wicketkeeper Matt Prior's calf ahead of next week's opening Ashes Test.
Five-time World Cup winners Australia were whitewashed 5-0 by hosts England in the ODI series which concluded last month, extending their poor ODI run having won only 16 of their last 18 matches.
Steven Smith's unbeaten knock on Day 2 of the first Test against India provided an endorsement of the 25-year-old's leadership credentials in case Australia skipper Michael Clarke's body finally gives out.
India will launch its ICC Champions Trophy title defence against traditional rivals Pakistan at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on June 4. Check out the complete schedule.
Pacer Chris Woakes claimed five wickets while batsmen Joe Root and Eoin Morgan hit half-centuries as England defeated Pakistan by 54 runs in the fifth and final One-Day International at Headingley on Sunday.
People do not associate cricket with death and the shock loss of Phillip Hughes, against all rational expectation, will be the hardest thing for bowler Sean Abbott to deal with, according to trauma experts.
'IPL is huge; I like the money in it.'
- 'As a captain, I think first and foremost I'll try to lead from the front with my performance on the field' - 'It's a different kettle of fish (leading) Australia, but I'm really looking forward to the challenge'
Australia captain Michael Clarke retired hurt on 60 with a lower back injury on day one, but after a sleep-deprived night of treatment and pain-killing injections, the 33-year-old's courageous 128 helped drive the hosts to 517 for seven by stumps against India in the first Test at the Adelaide Oval.
'It is not foreign to have two left-handers in the team. Australia have not done it a lot in the past but I don't see why we can't do that. Mitch bowls exceptionally well at the death, can also bowl at the middle and upfront. So, it might be a case if both of us are picked in the same team we can have different roles'
Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen claims Andy Flower was a power-crazy coach, who presided over a regime of bullying and 'had it in for me' throughout his five-year reign in charge of the national side.
If India top or finish fourth in the 10-team table, then they will play in the first semi-final at Old Trafford on July 9. In the scenario of India finishing second or third in the points table, they will feature in the second semi-final at Edgbaston on July 11.
West Indies, who have 78 points in the ODI team rankings, cannot now overtake Sri Lanka (86 points) ahead of the September 30 cut-off for automatic qualification regardless of how they do in the remaining four games.
Mathews missed the one-day series in South Africa, the tour of Australia and the home series against Bangladesh with a hamstring injury but is back in action for his Delhi franchise in the ongoing Indian Premier League.
BCCI recommended India pacers Mohammad Shami and Jasprit Bumrah, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and women's team player Poonam Yadav for the Arjuna award.
Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar believes India can win the Adelaide Test if they remain in a positive frame of mind despite another good batting show by Australia on the fourth day of the match.
;It's a given that Dhoni won't be around when the next ICC World T20 happens in Australia in 2020.' 'So, there wasn't any point continuing with him if he will not play World T20.'
Australia will start as favourites to reclaim the Ashes over the next seven weeks if only because of their home advantage but picking the winners in cricket's oldest Test rivalry has become a fool's game in recent years
Emotions were still too raw in the wake of the death of Phillip Hughes to make a decision on whether to go ahead with next week's first Test against India, Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said on Friday.
'It's come down to the people and their belief whether finger spinners could do the job or not. I feel finger spinners have a role to play provided you back them'
The veteran fast bowler believes Sri Lanka could surprise opposition teams in the round-robin format.
Sacked Australia captain Steve Smith and David Warner have both been banned for 12 months for their roles in the ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town.
'The point is that if as a player I have always played for the team, then I deserve chances more consistently. That's the least I am asking.'
Spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal have taken a combined 77 wickets in the past 12 months, six more than India's pace trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami.
Injured Australia captain Michael Clarke completed an inspiring century after lunch on day two of the first Test against India on Wednesday, having returned to the crease following pain-killing injections on his back.
India captain Virat Kohli feels his team will be a tougher prospect for England than Australia, promising they will play "fearless cricket" on their coming tour.
Rabada conjured up his lethal yorkers for the Delhi Capitals in their pulsating Super Over win on Saturday.
Former South Africa all-rounder Eddie Barlow died at the age of 65 following a long illness.
Fast bowler Stuart Broad has fallen out of contention for a regular starting place in England's one-day international side but the test stalwart is "desperate" to represent his country at the 2019 World Cup on home soil. Broad, who climbed to the top of the test bowlers rankings earlier this year, was part of the England side that made an embarrassing group stage exit at the 2015 World Cup and has barely featured since.
Kevin Pietersen's England career was ended on Tuesday after he was left out of the squad for this year's World Twenty20 and the limited overs tour of the Caribbean.
There was large demand for India vs Pakistan, England vs Australia and the final, all of which were oversubscribed at every price band.
'I didn't know if I was ever going to play a one-dayer again. It's funny how things change but it was nice to get that opportunity in Australia and take it, then to have faith (from) the selectors to keep me in, it was nice to get (maiden hundred) today. It was pretty special'
Penpix of England players in England's Ashes squad.
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